We recently went on a family vacation to see Granny D and Pops who live in Cascade, Colorado at the foot of Pike’s Peak Mountain outside of Colorado Springs. Pike’s Peak is 14,110 feet high and is in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. This trip we decided we needed to visit the summit of Pike’s Peak again. You can take a train up, the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway, but we drove it. The Pike’s Peak highway is 19 miles long and has a series of switchbacks, treacherous at high-speed, called “The W’s” for their shape on the side of the mountain. It is a scary, beautiful drive. We broke out our DIY Car Sick Bag during the drive to help out Son #2 on the way up. Make sure you bring water in the car and don’t look over the edge! There are lots of crazy bicyclists that make the climb so drive very slowly and carefully.

Once on top of the summit, check out the great view and find the plaque that talks about how the song “America the Beautiful” was written right there on the mountain. If you are lucky you will see the Cog Railway and make sure you try some of the Pike’s Peak donuts. They are yummy!

On your decent, don’t use your brakes, but use your engine gears to slow down. Half-way down you will be stopped by a Park Ranger that will check your brakes and tell you some jokes. Pike’s Peak was a great stop on our family vacation. In all it took about 3 hours and every member of my family enjoyed it. You should check it out sometime!

Disclosure: This post may contain my affiliate link, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase. Thank you for supporting CuldesacCool.com. All opinions are 100% my own as always. For more information, please see my disclosure policy {here}.